Missing Time: Comfort and The Bet
by Trousers in Small Jars
Summary: Ever wonder what happened after All I Ask of You? Or why Raoul's hair looked that way? Well, here is my serious attempt to explain. First story in my Missing Time Series which is Explained inside
1. Comfort

A/N- This is a two shot. It is also the first in a series I am doing to explain the few things that bothered me and missing time in the 2004 movie. It is my favorite movie but there are still a few things I wished they had done differently. One of the main things is Raoul's hair. I had wished they found a better wig. A noble at the time would not have had his hair that long or in that style. It also covers what happened on the staircase after 'All I Ask of You' and 'Il Muto.' Some of these will be short, some of them will be longer just depends on what I am covering.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Leroux's Phantom is public domain but ALW's is not. I make no profit from this story.

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A night that seemed to get worse by the minute was finally looking up for Christine Daae. She was on the roof of the Opera Populair with the boy that had saved her scarf from the sea. That boy had grown up into the man she was finding herself in love with. The snow fell softly around them as they proclaimed their love for each other. Christine had never felt as thoroughly happy as she did when Raoul's lips had met hers. As they kissed, a surge of electricity ran through her body and she could no longer feel the cold air on her bare arms.

'_Love me, that's all I ask of you.' _Another series of kisses followed and all Christine wanted was to stay in Raoul's gentle embrace forever. It was then she remembered what had led them up to the roof. They had been up here for quite a while and she would have to get into full costume and make up soon if the opera was still set to take place. It pained her to break apart the kiss but she had to go back.

'_I must go; they'll wonder where I am.' _Raoul looked confused as she said this. Had she changed her mind? Did she really need to get away from him that fast? All these insecurities faded when she grabbed his hand and led him toward the door._ 'Come with me Raoul.' _Christine's lips curled into a gleeful smile. Raoul knew he could finally say what he had been holding in since the night of _'Hannibal.' _

'_Christine, I love you.' _His sentiments were rewarded with a peck on the lips.

'_Order your fine horses; be with them at the door.' _Christine thought she something move from behind one of the statues but decided it must have a bird or another small animal.

'_And soon you'll be beside me.' _Raoul's blue eyes stared intently at her and she met his gaze as she opened the door.

'_You'll guard me and you'll guide me.' _They were back at the spiral staircase that Christine had so furiously run up earlier. Raoul closed the door and pulled Christine into a short tender kiss.

"Raoul," She said with a light laughter in her voice. "I need to go back to my dressing room. Everyone will worry."

"You are right. We will have to return as soon as possible." Raoul suddenly swooped Christine up into his arms.

"Raoul! What are you doing?"

"I am taking the Prima Donna back to her dressing room." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Raoul began descending the staircase with the woman he intended to make his bride in his arms. Christine started humming a tune and soon started to sing softly.

'_Say you need me with you here, beside you.' _With each word her voice grew louder. _'Anywhere you go, let me go too. That's all I ask of you.' _Raoul smiled down at her and joined her. They did not care who heard them, let the whole world know that they were in love._ 'Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you. Share each day with me, each night each morning.'_ An anguished howl was heard that seemed to come from the roof. Christine felt a chill run down her spine but tried to ignore it. They had now reached the final series of staircases leading to the ground level of the opera house. Raoul gently set Christine down on her feet as they were backstage again.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Christine! There you are. I thought you had disappeared again!" Meg Giry ran to her best friend as soon as she saw her. She hugged Christine tightly. It was then Meg noticed Raoul standing behind Christine. "Oh, Monsieur Le Vicomte," She gave a quick curtsy. "I did not see you there." Raoul nodded to acknowledge the formal greeting that he never really cared for. "The managers just announced that the opera will not continue." Meg said with some relief in her voice. The sight of Buquet hanging from the rafters was going to haunt her forever.

"Oh, that is wonderful!" Christine smiled. She did not know how she would have made it through a performance, especially a comedy, on a stage where a man had been murdered just moments before. Christine looked around trying to find Madame Giry but she was nowhere to be seen. She wondered what Madame Giry thought now since she had always encouraged Christine's relationship with the Angel of Music. _Phantom _she mentally corrected herself. _That man is no angel._

"Move aside, please!" A man in police uniform called out. He was leading a large group of people from the stage. "Make room!" Christine, Raoul and Meg stepped aside. As the group came closer they were carrying long stretcher with a white sheet over it. Christine suddenly realized what they were carrying. It was the body of Joseph Buquet. Just then, one of the men carrying the stretcher lost his footing causing it to tip. The rest of the men kept it from falling completely but not before Buquet's lifeless arm slipped out from beneath the sheet. Christine screamed, Raoul pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest.

"My God, what have I done?" She cried, daring not to lift her head. Raoul could feel her small body trembling. It pained him to see Christine in such distress. Meg stood by to help comfort her friend. They stood there long after the make shift processional had passed until Andre and Firmin walked up in in a huff towards Raoul.

"Monsieur Le Vicomte, we have matters to discuss." Firmin said.

"If you could excuse us please, Mademoiselles."Andre said noticing the two young ladies. Christine looked up at Raoul with a worried expression in her eyes which only made him hold her tighter.

"I'd like to save this for another time, if you two gentlemen would not mind. It has been a terrible night for all of us and I think would be best if we all got some rest before discussing business." Firmin and Andre eyed the chorus girl turned diva and exchanged knowing glances.

"Well, Monsieur Le Vicomte if those are your wishes, we will comply." Firmin said with a little frustration in his voice. "But, can we expect you in our office, first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, of course." Raoul shrugged off the request. He could not care less about what financial plea the two would make.

"SPLENDID!" Firmin said and two quickly walked away. After they were gone, it was decided that Meg would stay with Christine until she finished changing. Raoul stood outside of the room constantly on guard; he was not going to take any chances.

"What happened with him, Christine?" Meg asked excitedly inside the dressing room. A little light hearted talk would help lift her spirits a bit. Christine told of all that had happened on the roof and Meg hugged her friend once again.

"I am so happy for you. My friend, the Comtess De Chagny!" Christine laughed at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Meg, he has not proposed. We cannot assume such things." She said from behind the ornate dressing divider. The things Raoul had sang sounded like a proposal but he had not officially asked. Christine was not even sure if Raoul's family would allow them to marry. She did not want to get ahead of herself.

"I know he will. I see the way he looks at you." Meg said as she took Christine's costume and laid it out the next evening's performance.

"I hope you are right Meg, I really hope you are." She finished changing quickly and the opera house was incredibly quiet when Christine emerged from her dressing room. She looked stunning in a simple navy blue pleated skirt, matching waist band and white blouse. Meg bid goodbye to couple and was off.

"I'm afraid I did not have anything more formal to wear." Christine said apologetically. She did not have very much clothing and no formal outfits. Whenever one of the girls in the opera house needed something for a formal event, they would either save money for months or borrow from the costume wardrobe. Raoul smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"No need to fret Little Lottie. There is no dress code for where we are going."

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A/N- The bit about Raoul's hair is going to be in the next chapter. This was originally a one shot but I realized it was going to be |WAY too long and one of my pet peeves are chapters that go on forever. The next and final chapter will up in the next couple of days. Then I will go back to work on my other stories!

I would LOVE to know what you all think of this idea for the series.


	2. The Bet

Chapter 2-The Bet

A/N- Thank you for the reviews! I am glad you like the idea. I also know that there are some readers out there who did not review since there are a decent amount of hits. Thank you for reading!

Anyway, I hope you ALL enjoy.

Disclaimer: Leroux's Phantom is public domain but ALW's is not. I make no profit from this story.

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Raoul could not keep the smile off his face as he led Christine through the empty halls of the Opera Populair. Although he had planned this evening a few days before, it meant so much more now. He held Christine's hand firmly in his grasp and was practically running while Christine was doing her best to keep up with him. Their laughter echoed high up into the rafters. It was if they were children again running up and down the sea shore. They reached the stable where Raoul handed the valet a few francs to bring his carriage around. Raoul helped Christine up into the un-covered carriage. She was surprised to find that there was no driver. Every noble she had seen come to the Opera Populair all had drivers. But Raoul was not like all nobles and she was thankful for that. Sitting back on the bench, she watched Raoul stand at the head of the carriage and give the cue for the horses to start moving.

Suddenly, Christine felt a wave of exhaustion come over her. The night had been so tiring and it was all catching up with her. Raoul yawned and turned his head back to see that Christine was asleep. Raoul was happy to see her look so peaceful. He never wanted to see that look of fear on her face ever again.

It was going to be a little under an hour before they reached the house Raoul had recently purchased, located just outside the city. The house was not an expansive estate like the ones he had grown up on but it was not small by any means. The purchase had been a way of asserting his independence to his parents. There was a bitter chill in the air and hardly anyone else out the streets. Raoul preferred it this way, the last thing he needed was one of his acquaintances gossiping about the Vicomte De Chagny taking the much talked about chorus girl turned Prima Donna to his home. He usually ignored the idle gossip shared among nobility but he did not want Christine to have worry about such things. There was already enough rumor and speculation at the opera house about Christine's involvement with the Phantom. One rumor even said that Raoul had cooked up the Opera Ghost scheme to further the young ingénue's career. That rumor would most likely be put to rest after word of tonight's events spread.

Raoul's thoughts turned to the mysterious Phantom. Who was he? Where did he come from? Was he the Angel of Music Christine had spoken about? It disturbed him that such a mysterious man had attached himself to Christine. She could be in great danger. The thought of losing Christine tied his stomach in a knot and made his heart beat faster. He knew that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. Raoul shook his head trying to push those thoughts out of his mind. At that moment, Raoul decided that not another word would be spoken tonight about the disastrous events that transpired earlier. Tonight was going to be about keeping Christine happy. It was not much longer before the carriage reached Raoul's current dwelling.

Christine awoke just as the carriage pulled into the stable. She had not thought Raoul would take her to his home out of fear of a scandal. Raoul helped her out of the carriage and lead her through the doors of the large residence. The home was not even half of the size of the De Chagny summer home that Christine had spent a large amount of time during her childhood. The foyer was dark except for a few dimmed oil lamps.

Raoul gave a mischievous smile and grasped her hand tightly. He walked toward the staircase and Christine stopped before taking the first step. Her stomach dropped.

"Raoul…..I do not think I am ready for this." It took Raoul a moment to realize what she was talking about and he felt like an idiot for not thinking what kind of proposition it looked like.

"Oh Christine, I apologize. I would never try to force that decision on you. We just have to go upstairs." She eyed him quizzically before following him. There had been no reason for her to think Raoul would try to trick her into bed. It sounded ridiculous the more she thought about it.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see, just trust me." She let him guide her up the staircase and to the end of a long hallway. They reached a door at the very end of the corridor which opened to another staircase which led to the attic. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Christine look around and gasped. Other than its large size the attic looked exactly like the one at the house by the sea. There was a blue and red plaid blanket placed in the middle of the floor with several plates of cheeses, crackers and two glasses lain out on it. She could not help but smile, it was just like the many picnics they had shared as children.

"Raoul, I can't believe it." Raoul smiled, he had hoped for this response. It had taken him an incredibly long time to figure out the perfect evening to share with Christine. They sat on the floor next to each other and began to eat. They took turns telling the stories they'd loved as children until they broke out in laughter. Raoul even pulled out his violin and began playing much to Christine's delight. It seemed to be an un-spoken agreement not to talk about the Angel of Music. Christine was pained by the fact that a large part of her childhood was now associated with such conflicted emotions and memories. The talk then drifted to stories of their own childhood adventures and their years apart which lead to what Christine said next. "This may sound strange but I am curious about your hair."

"My hair?" Raoul said furrowing his brow.

"Yes, I seem to remember the summer you were nine and your hair was just about covering your ears. You complained about it constantly. I was just wondering if you out grew it."

"Honestly," Raoul sighed. "I hate it. This was not my choice." He said pointing to his head. "It was the product of a little much wine and poker."

"Really?" Christine lifted her eyebrows.

"Yes, one of the worst decisions I ever made." Raoul said somewhat seriously. "I was at my one of my sister's parties and after dinner someone suggested we start a poker game. We played for quite a while and kept the wine in good supply. After about an hour, we decided to make the wagers a little more interesting. First it was minor things like buying each other dinners or trading horses. But then I bet my ever so loving cousin, Joel, if he lost his hand that he would have serenade the room with an aria. I probably should tell you that Joel cannot sing to save his life. He loves music but just cannot comprehend one note from the other. He ended up losing that hand and after his "enthralling" performance we began playing again. Joel then bet if I lost my hand, I could not cut my hair until I got married. And like a fool, I took it." Christine laughed. "It has been over a year and I have kept my end of the bet up because if I didn't, Joel would have thought of something worse to get me back."

"So as soon as you get married, you will cut it?"

"Yes, I plan to have a barber at the wedding so it can be done immediately after ceremony." They both laughed.

"Have you ever been close?" Christine asked soberly.

"To marriage?" She nodded. "Well, no. Not one of the women I've met have interested me in the slightest. But, I just recently realized they had the same problem."

"Which was?"

"They were not you." Raoul said as he looked directly into her eyes and took her hand in his. "Christine, I love you. I think I always knew in the back of my head that I was looking for you. I was never going to be happy until I found you again." Christine moved closer to Raoul and they shared a passionate kiss. After a few more kisses and embraces they sat there holding each other. Raoul had propped himself up against the wall with Christine lying her head on his chest. They did not need to talk; just being together at this moment was enough. Within a few moments they had both fallen asleep in the comfort of each other's arms.

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A/N- I hope you all liked my feeble attempt at an explanation. I am trying to keep very close to movie canon. As in if it is mentioned in the movie that is the way it is in this series, which is why Raoul's parents are alive. But, I will try to incorporate details of Leroux and the musical that will fit though I may have to bend them a bit. I am also operating on the idea that just because it was not mentioned in the movie does not mean I can't use it (e.g. - Raoul's sisters) but since in Leroux Philippe was part of the action at the opera house and they do not mention him at all in the movie or musical, he will not be alive in that portion of the story.

If a few things seem glossed over or under explained in this story, I plan to go back and explain everything in other parts of this series because my intention is to cover EVERYTHING. (So, the actual details of that pact will be shared at a later date, probably in the one MEGA-fic I planning for this series.) I am kind of trying to go at this in a How I Met Your Mother style with hints to things that will happen in the future or did happen in the past but will not be fully explained until all the right pieces are there. Yes, I have spent an un-godly amount of time planning this out, I filled a whole notebook. It may take a bit before I add another story in this series since I am busy with school and I want to pay some attention to my other neglected stories. But, I will only be covering the smaller topics for now, at least until my other stories are wrapped up. If you want to shoot me some suggestions of the small periods of time you want to see next, let me know!

Thank you for reading and congratulations for making it to the end of this LOOONG author's note.


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